Together with Ericsson, Swisscom achieved improvements in network build, local tuning, features, and end-to-end performance

Thanks to its partnership with Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), Swisscom not only won Switzerland's 2018 connect mobile network test but also received the highest score ever recorded in a test of this type – 973 out of a maximum 1,000 points.

Connect magazine has conducted the most authoritative independent network benchmark test in Germany for nearly 15 years, and more recently introduced similar tests in Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Australia. The tests enable operators to compare the quality of their networks and services with those of their competitors, and for end users to make informed subscription choices.

Daniel Staub, Head of Joint Mobile Group at Swisscom, says: "Swisscom aims to offer its customers the best mobile services available anywhere in the world, and the connect mobile network test provides us with an opportunity to have our network's performance verified by a respected third party. We won the test seven years in a row and then had tougher competition in 2016, which we took as a lesson learned. So, to rectify matters, we set up a special program with our partner, Ericsson."

The program helped to return Swisscom to the number one spot in Switzerland's 2018 connect mobile network test by focusing on achieving improvements in four key areas: build; local tuning; features; and end-to-end performance.

Juan Manuel Melero, Head of Network Design & Optimization at Ericsson, says: "We have a partnership established with Swisscom with the objective to bring their network performance to become number one worldwide. We are therefore very pleased with the result we have jointly managed to achieve in last year's Connect Test. We will continue working to further improve this performance and continue breaking records in the scoring of these type of benchmarks."

In the "build" stream of the program, Swisscom upgraded more network sites in a single year than ever before – an astonishing 65% more than in 2016 – using the latest Ericsson Radio System portfolio and intelligent network build capabilities. Ericsson also delivered network planning for the entire network.To improve "local tuning", a new team of Ericsson Network Design & Optimization experts was set up. One of this team's key achievements was completion of a "highway and railway optimization" project to enhance radio performance for end users traveling in road vehicles and trains. The team's hard work was rewarded when Swisscom achieved a 100% success rate in the road drive test for file downloads and uploads.

In the "features" stream, the goal was to get the best systematic performance out of the installed base. In preparation for the 2018 test, these efforts led to deployment of the latest radio access and core network software releases, including optional features and system improvements such as service-specific HARQ, PSHO-based CS fallback and inter-eNodeB carrier aggregation. This combination provided state-of-the-art call setup times, shorter time to content and increased data throughput in both static and mobility scenarios. These ways of working, and the collaboration with Ericsson's product development units, were the keys to getting the best performance from Swisscom's network.

Throughout the program, Ericsson's Network Design & Optimization experts worked tirelessly hand in hand with the experts from Swisscom to optimize "end-to-end performance". One of the most notable Ericsson deliveries in this stream was an App Experience Optimization project that ensured Swisscom's network performed impressively in the web browsing and YouTube tests.

Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and services with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Our organization consists of more than 111,000 experts who provide customers in 180 countries with innovative solutions and services. Together we are building a more connected future where anyone and any industry is empowered to reach their full potential. Net sales in 2016 were SEK 222.6 billion (USD 24.5 billion). The Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on NASDAQ in New York. Read more on www.ericsson.com.